Semi-open: May 05

[knightscode]

Who: Lancelot and friends!
What: It's a birthday party! With both regular people and supernatural types. What could go wrong?
When: May 05
Where: Lancelot's flat & garden, Richmond!
Warnings: Gratuitous doggy! Probably a punch up later. Possibly some drunk kissing.



Lancelot's garden is not exactly an acre-large tented paradise.

He's not made of money.

It's big enough to just about fit the people invited across the patio and grass, with Lily variously herding them and rolling around, and he's flitting between them and the kitchen and living room and generally doing his best to butterfly around all of them making sure they're happy. The garden is relatively tidy, as tidy and well kept as a garden that suffers an enthusiastic dog can be. The hedges are neatly trimmed, the tree in one corner healthy and big enough to throw a little shade, and the one flowerbed border seems to mostly have some roses that are yet to fully bloom.

For those who he's only known since the incident last year he's given them a warning: not everyone who will be there is aware of the supernatural side of things, so try not to blurt it to people you don't know.

Despite it being his own birthday Lancelot is, of course, playing host. There's a table set up outside with finger food, salads, drinks and all sorts -- and food strategically inside for those who can't be out in the sun too. He appears to still be checking on more in the oven every so often too, but Lancelot does like to cook -- and he seems quite focused on making sure everyone has something they could eat.

Some of the drinks are alcoholic. The punch isn't that strong, but he has a few other drinks along the side for people who want them and some bottles of beer in an ice bucket. If someone decides to do a little mixing of course then it might wind up stronger.

His sound system is playing the soothing strains of Dire Straits through the place and all in all, for now at least things are going smoothly. So long as nobody says the wrong thing to the wrong person, it will probably be a nice evening. With the mixture of factions present alongside those who have no idea what a faction is, of course... that may be difficult.


[ OOC: Feel free to mingle away on the post with others here! ]

Comments

DEFINITELY NOT EAMES | OTA

[falsify]

Kathryn's here everyone! She comes armed with a couple of bottles of rosé wine, a gift for Lancelot (it's a handmade leather wallet, very fancy and probably expensive,) and treats for Lily! Which is really the most important thing here. Dressed for the warm weather in shorts and a loose white blouse, she is certainly here to enjoy the day.

Ever the friendly sort, Kathryn greets Lancelot with a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek, and throughout the day she spends most of her time in the garden getting to know the assembled. Easily joining conversations like she was there from the start, or introducing herself to anyone who seems a bit alone and/or wallflowery with a smile and a question as to how they know the birthday boy. She's endlessly warm and friendly, the picture of someone who just wants people to feel comfortable and enjoy themselves.

Whenever it feels like the right time to smoke, she goes out the front of the house instead of risking ruining the atmosphere of the party. And whenever that's not happening, she spends a considerable amount of time playing with Lily.

Well, let's be completely honest. Most of her time is spent doting on that dog.

[stauncherhearted]

Hey, not-Eames. It's your not-daughter. She can tell something's different about the lady- something magic. But she's more polite than to just demand to figure out what's going on. Instead, it's Lily that draws her over, rather than the woman, because when someone is playing with the puppy, well, she kind of wants to play, too.

"Oh, hullo, Lily!" She says, dropping to her knees. "You remember me, don't you, you good girl?" She's happy to scratch her cheeks, joining Katheryn in doggie dotage. She turns to her petting partner: "Isn't she wonderful?"

[falsify]

Hm. This... Could be awkward.

Kathryn's taken a seat under the tree and managed to coax Lily into laying down with her for a little while, (because someone has to be tuckered out from all these exciting people,) giving her lots of pets and compliments about what a great dog she is. Nancy coming over with cheek scratches gets a couple excited tail thumps too, which Kathryn laughs fondly at.

"She's beautiful," she answers without missing a beat, "and so clever too, aren't you?" Any good dog knows when they're being complimented, and Lily certainly seems pleased with all the adoration she's getting right now. What a great animal.

[stauncherhearted]

"Oh, she is," Nancy agrees, though she's talking more to Lily than to Kathryn. "I think she's the real reason most of us came today." She laughs at her own joke, but Lily doesn't seem to care that it's a pretty terrible

Hopefully Kathryn doesn't, either.

"Great day for a party, though, isn't it?"

[falsify]

Truth be told, she's not an insignificant part of why Kathryn is here. Look at all that fur, how could anyone pass up such an opportunity?

"It's a lovely day," she smiles and gives Nancy a thoughtful look for a moment. "So you're a friend of Lancelot's? How do you know eachother, if it's okay to ask?" He smile turns a little mischievous at the end there too, as if maybe expecting a good story. With someone as prone to throwing themself at danger as Lancelot though, it's hardly unfounded.

[stauncherhearted]

Nancy laughs nervously, letting go of Lily to run a hand through her ginger hair. "Oh- uhm, that's, ah," she laughs and takes a drink.

"I am a friend of his, yes. We met... not under the best of circumstances. I was out at night, he wanted to make sure I was safe." More or less, he'd actually tried to avoid giving her a verbal warning for prostitution, because he was a good man. So he wanted to warn her without warning her, because he knew exactly what she'd been doing.

"What about you two? I'm afraid I don't know many of his friends, really."

[falsify]

"Oh, it's... Complicated." That's probably the best word for it, and her own laugh is a little embarrassed as she nods her head to the question, "we met at a dinner party a while ago."

And that's definitely all there is to it, the end.

[stauncherhearted]

So neither of them were particularly comfortable with 100% of the truth. Alright, that happens. Especially in their sort of world- Nancy can tell that Kathryn has magic, but she's going to respect Lance's wishes and not talk about it. Look at her, being a good friend.

"I'm sure it is," she said. "I'm Nancy."

[falsify]

"Kathryn," she answers, and there's a mix of relief and genuine cheerfulness on her face. Both at Nancy dropping the subject, and because, well. It's Kathryn, warm and friendly and cheerful is kind of her thing. It's a personality most people find easy to open up to.

Not that it's a totally made up personality or anything. Just a coincidence.

Anyway. Kathryn pats the ground on the other side of Lily for Nancy to sit with them, rather than kneeling. It's a little risky, of course, but being able to recognise the feel of a particular person's magic is a rare enough skill that it's probably safe. And more than that, shooing her off would be suspicious on its own.

"So, Nancy. Is it alright if I ask what you do, or is that verboten?" She playfully covers one of Lily's ears, which promptly gets a response of having her hand licked by gross dog tongue. Not that she seems to mind.

[stauncherhearted]

"Nice to meet you, Kathryn."

As it just so happened, Nancy was one of those people who found her easy to open up to.

Sitting down on the other side of Lily, the dog seems happy for double the attention in the shade, and Nancy's just pleased she doesn't have to get her knees dirty anymore.

"It is alright," she says, but mostly because she can follow it up with: "Lily already knows. It's not something I really advertise in mixed company, but, so long as you don't tell the law enforcement type-" she glances around. Lance knows. And there's only so much that the police can do when she doesn't have any sort of legal existence. Fagin's got her out of tough spots with the police before, and being a favorite meal for the police commissioner really did help.

But he wasn't here. And Fagin would never help her again. Hopefully, given she was under his protection, Eames could step in when needed. Not that she would ever actually ask.

"I'm a sex worker." Now Kathryn is going to get disgusted and change the subject in five, four, three, two and...

[falsify]

"Oh." That is a definite 'oh I didn't expect that' kind of 'oh.' She's not disgusted, but she does purse her lips for a moment while she tries to think of acceptable places to go from there. You don't really go asking about a person's rates and telling them you've got the hookup for some rich clients if she's up for it at a police officer's party.

Plus? It feels kinda disingenuous in a way that she's not about to analyse.

"I'll keep it between the three of us," she offers with a wink and a bit of a playful smile instead, "that's pretty rough work though, isn't it?"

[stauncherhearted]

Girl, she would take your hookups for rich clients. Rich clients were the best clients, rather than the street trash she usually found herself working with. The vampires, though- that's where she got the real money.

Yeah, Eames.

Nancy's smile eases back on to her face. "Yeah- yeah, it is. But it is what it is." She shrugs it off. She's not going to get into her sordid history- she'd made poor Skip nearly ill, when she asked the wrong sort of question. Plus, it's not great cocktail conversation.

"What is it that you do, then?"

[falsify]

"I know people," she says and ruffles the fur on Lily's belly, as if saying Lily is one of those important people she knows, and tilts her head thoughtfully, "and then I help people get to know eachother."

DEFINITELY NOT

[knightscode]

He honestly hadn't thought she would come.

It had been so long, and she'd stopped answering him, but now --

His face lights up at the sight of her, and Lancelot is by her side in an instant. With Lily, of course. Their expressions are similar too, both with that brown-eyed adoration. His arms come around her easily as she goes for a hug, and he can't help the surge of excitement. Maybe he can fix this! Maybe he still has a chance, if he can just get it right.

"Kathryn! I -- forgive me for it, but I feared you might not come. I know you've been busy, of course, so..."

So he needs to stop rambling, and get to the point.

"It's good to see you."

[falsify]

Oh, that's so sweet. A nicer person might feel bad.

Sadly for Lancelot, he is not speaking to a nice person.

"Of course I came!" Her smile is bright, like she hadn't essentially told him 'bye, thanks for the sex' and then ghosted him, and she pulls back to hand him his gift. "I know things didn't... Exactly go as you hoped, but I couldn't miss your birthday."

[knightscode]

'Didn't go exactly as he hoped'.

He drops his eyes a little at that, faintly embarrassed by the reminder, but lifts them after a moment to take the gift.

"My evening is always brighter for your being there, Kathryn. No matter the circumstance. Thank you, for this -- you did not have to bring anything.2

Lancelot gestures with the gift, offers her a small smile.

"Can I get you something, at least? There's plenty of food and drink going around."

[falsify]

"You're too kind, Lancelot," Kathryn shakes her head, maybe with a faint flush on her cheeks from such a compliment, but that's totally unimportant.

"I brought some wine — and treats for the little one — but maybe I should start off with something non-alcoholic..." She lifts the bag in her hand so he can see that yes, that is a bag with bottles of wine in it, and gestures with a tip of her head toward the inside, "why don't I put these in the fridge, and then we can catch up for a little?"

[knightscode]

The 'little one' bounces around their feet and tries to sniff at the bag, because bags often have food in them and all food is obviously to be shared with Lily.

"Of course!" Lancelot says, subtly swiping a hand out to restrain Lily even as his smile twitches up a notch. "Here, let me take that for you."

She can probably handle a bag of wine, but she's been carrying it a while and Lancelot likes to be gentlemanly.

[falsify]

"I've got it, it's okay," she smiles and leans down briefly to try and placate Lily with a few pets before she starts toward the kitchen, "I can't make you carry wine on your birthday, what kind of person do you think I am?"

[knightscode]

"One who should let a gentleman help her more often."

He winks playfully at her, before letting go of Lily and following them both through to the kitchen. The dog goes straight for her water bowl, because it's very warm outside and she has a lot of fur. The tiles in the kitchen are a blessing, and the water even more so. Lancelot stops to lean against the counter, watching the two of them alternately.

"So," he begins, trying for casual as he can manage. "How have you been?"

Kathryn is such an enigma. In fact, he'd always assumed she was a witch after how they met -- but really he'd never asked. It was a Daybreak meal, but others had been there. He was technically Daybreak himself, just not a witch. Perhaps it matters, perhaps it doesn't. She's still someone he's fond of regardless.

[falsify]

"Busy, mostly." She puffs out an exaggerated gust of air that blows her fringe up and sighs, "it's great for my bank account, but hopefully things should quiet down a little now the election's over."

Either unaware or uncaring for Lancelot's plight there, Kathryn just busies herself with getting a glass to pour herself some water — great idea Lily.

"How about you?" She turns her head to look at him over her shoulder, a brief waggle of the eyebrows as if Lancelot is the kind of guy choc full of scandalous stories to tell, "what's new in the world of Mr. du Lac?"

[knightscode]

He drops his eyes at her teasing, shrugs slightly as he watches Lily lap up water.

"The same as yourself, I suppose. Busy with the elections. Trying to keep the peace. How long it will last is anyone's guess. I have hope that perhaps something good will come of this, but nothing is ever certain."

[falsify]

"Fingers crossed. I think we'd all enjoy a bit of peace and quiet for a little while."

And a lot less Norrell.

[knightscode]

"I know I would. Maybe if things quieten down for you we could do something? The flower show is on later in the month, it could be nice if the weather stays good. If you like looking at flowers. Or there's probably something on we could go see."

You know. If you. Would like to go places with him. Since he'd still like to try that. You have to give him points for effort, at least, surely?

[falsify]

Oh, that's... Just tragic.

Kathryn frowns down at her drink and looks up at Lancelot with her eyebrows creased in sympathetic concern. Surely normal people don't get this attached this easily. Is it a Seelie thing? Who knows.

"I... Don't know if that's a good idea."